By Tony Veneziano
CONCORD, N.C. Jan. 29, 2010 Double-file restarts and a new race format that guarantees you ll see your favorite driver in at least one heat and main every night are among the fan-friendly changes World of Outlaws officials will unveil Feb. 5 at the Florida DIRTcar Nationals By University of Northwestern Ohio at Volusia Speedway Park.
Following meetings with team owners last November during the World Finals, and comments from fans over the past several years, a new race format and procedures have been adopted to pump even more excitement into The Greatest Show on Dirt. These changes will be under close watch by series officials, who will determine if any adjustments are needed.
The rivalry developing between Donny Schatz and Jason Meyers, the threat that Joey Saldana poses on the heels of his 20-win season and the news that Steve Kinser will be driving for Tony Stewart has anticipation at an all-time high for the 2010 season. And now, the World of Outlaws will become the only major venue in all of open-wheel racing where fans can see double-file restarts from the beginning of the night until the final checkered flag, with the leader being given lane choice. The familiar front-stretch cone will be left in the trailer as the leader will dictate each restart coming out of Turn 4.
In addition to double-file restarts which the series pioneered in the 70s and the elimination of the non-qualifiers race in favor of expanding the number of heat races should the car count dictate, the Dash will also get a facelift. The top two finishers from each heat race, in addition to the two fastest qualifiers who transfer through their heat, will advance to the Dash, which could see as many as 12 starters in a 5-heat format. A qualifying time based inversion of 4, 6 or 8 will determine the Dash lineup, and all drivers in the inversion will be interviewed in front of the crowd. The Dash finish will then set the lineup for the A-main.
Every year we listen to the fans and consider ways to make World of Outlaws events even more exciting, said World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter. There s nothing more breathtaking than the start of a World of Outlaws race. Now, in adopting double-file restarts, every wave of the green flag throughout every race will be an incredible sight as a full field thunders out of Turn 4 and into the first corners side-by-side. World of Outlaws drivers are some of the most skilled racers in motorsports, and this will no doubt showcase their talent.
In an effort to further enhance fans experience, the allotted time in the work area has been reduced to one minute after a damaged car arrives, and under an open red flag only two crew members will be permitted to attend to the car. In time trials, all cars will take two laps no matter how many cars have signed in to race, unless weather is a factor.
One thing that has not changed from the first World of Outlaws race in 1978 is the post-race open pits. Even though at every fan at Volusia can sign in for a complimentary pit pass after purchasing a reserved or general admission ticket, the pits are remain open to everyone at the end of every World of Outlaws race to meet drivers for pictures and autographs.
A full week of Sprint Car action at the DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH kicks off on Feb. 2 with a test session, followed by two nights of racing under the All Star Circuit Champions banner (Feb. 3-4) before the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series takes center stage Friday through Sunday (Feb. 5-7).
Fans can now purchase tickets online by going to http://www.DIRTcarNationals.com, or by calling Volusia Speedway Park at 386-985-4402.
Race fans unable to make the annual trek south to Volusia need not worry. All 12 nights (Feb. 2nd-13th) will air LIVE on www.dirtvision.com beginning approximately at 7 p.m. each night.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, Jake s Custom Golf Carts, KSE Race Products, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo; Engine Builder’s Challenge participants Don Ott Racing Engines, Kistler Engines, Shaver Specialties and Speedway Engines; and Chassis Builder s Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.